CC Group Cruise: 12/10/06 Valor Scuba Cruise

[Sailfish]

The Valor Scuba Cruise

Cruise Critic is offering a Scuba Cruise aboard the Carnival Valor on December 10, 2006. This voyage calls on four exotic Western Caribbean ports of call: Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel, among some of the best dive destination in the world, let alone in the Caribbean!

If you are a certified scuba diver or are interested in getting certified, this might be the cruise of a lifetime. There is a customized group dive package available to the members (put together by Shore Trips); two tank dives in all four ports of call and a night dive in Cozumel at a very competitive price. Divers can book one, some or all of the dives. For details, please check out our online Group Brochure.

Cruise rates start at $599pp and includes $100 per cabin in shipboard credit, a shared group cocktail party (free drinks) as well as champagne and chocolates at embarkation. Please refer to our Online Brochure (link is below) for booking instructions. It will run you about $370pp if you do two tank dives in each port - a little more if you include the night dive in Cozumel or opt for the Ambergris Caye fly/dive package.

The Group Forum has a lot of good information pertaining to our dives, the ship (including reviews) and details concerning our ports of call. Our group is relatively low key, and comprised of mostly divers. We’re not into games or a lot of group activities. At last count we had 46 people confirmed, including quite a few non-divers. According to our travel agent, we still have inventory left.

If you are interested or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Suzi, the Group Leader. You’ll find links to the Brochure, the Group Forum and the group leader’s email below.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Sorry, I don't understand the connection with "family". Most school-aged children are in school until the week before Christmas.

[Sailfish]

Sorry' date=' I don't understand the connection with "family". Most school-aged children are in school until the week before Christmas.[/quote']

 

I beg to differ! Many schools are on modified or year round school year calendars (I can attenst to this, as I am a high school administrator). We have a number of families joing us with teens who are also certified scuba divers. Diving has become very popular family activity, especially among people who have kids 14 and up.

 

I posted this cruise as it's a very reasonably priced dive vacation, that will appeal to families with divers and non-divers alike. If you know anything about dive vacations, you'll know what I am talking about!

 

Yup, it's not for everyone. But trust me when I say the days when you only saw kids on a cruise over holiday periods is long gone.

[Cruisin' Chick]

sorry if I'm wrong. I heard many kids are off in October due to year-rd schedules or late October in the mid-Atlantic (not sure of the reason) or in February. I just wouldn't expect many schools to be out in early December, unless they take off the entire month.

[Sailfish]

sorry if I'm wrong. I heard many kids are off in October due to year-rd schedules or late October in the mid-Atlantic (not sure of the reason) or in February. I just wouldn't expect many schools to be out in early December' date=' unless they take off the entire month.[/quote']

 

No probelm. We are in Northern CA and our kids are off for 3 weeks over the Christmas holidays. We are also off the week of Thanksgiving, a week in February and a week in April. We head back to school in early August and our school day begins at 7:30am.

 

We are NOT considered a year round district - go figure. The year round programs in our area have three or four different tracks, and yes, some tracks have kids off for a month or more between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But they begin the new school year in July as opposed to August.

 

You are correct that you won't see tons of kids on cruises that week, but personally, I prefer it that way. The kid's programs on ships run better with fewer children, providing a higher staffing ratio. That's a huge deal if you have kids between the ages of 5-9. Based on past experience (we cruise this week a lot), you will still find quite a few kids in all age groups - probably more little ones as opposed to teens.

 

The biggest benefit happens to be pricing - families who can take the time off, save big bucks on vacation costs compared to those limited to taking vacations AFTER traditional school programs break.

[Sailfish]

Inside (Cat 4A): from $ 599 to $ 539 pp

Oceanview (Cat 6A): from $ 729 pp to $649

Balcony (Cat 8A): from $ 819 pp to $ 759 pp

Single rate is the same.